Streams of Gold
by Sirine
Summary: Sequel to Streams of Silver; hints of Tsukasa-Subaru romance, but mostly about Tsukasa's new time in The World. Work in progress!
1. Return

Streams of Gold

Sequel to Streams of Silver

By Sirine

Disclaimer- The charries are not mine and all that, blah, 'cept for Raven, who WILL be coming back and stuff. :smile:

Sparks flew in all directions as the ball of energy zoomed around the corner, skidding against the wall leaving a dark burn behind. The ball stopped short in midair and hovered for a moment, then zoomed off in another direction. Passerby stared at it curiously, but none thought anything of it; strange occurrences were common in The World.

No one would have thought it to be the beginnings of Tsukasa's returning consciousness

The little ball of light zoomed around some more until finally it found what it had been looking for. Lady Subaru's boat glided out from under the bridge and into sight of the common PC's. The little energy ball let off a burst of light and bee-lined for Subaru, who stood on the prow of the boat today.

Subaru saw what she thought was a firefly heading her way and smiled. Bear, Mimiru, and Ginkhan stood behind her and watched its approach as well. Ginkhan was the only one who was uneasy at the 'firefly's' approach, however, and he put a hand to the hilt of his sword, ready to use it as a flyswatter if necessary.

Mimiru looked back at him and grinned. "Hoy, Ginkhan-san, you scared of a bug these days, ne?" Bear laughed along with her, enjoying the joke at the Knight's expense.

The ball of energy stopped inches away from Subaru's shoulder and stayed there, pulsing like a heartbeat. Subaru smiled at it, thinking that she had found a new friend.

"Hello there, little one," she said quietly, reaching up to touch it with her hand. To her surprise, the 'firefly' dipped down and alight upon her bare shoulder. She let out a small gasp as she felt a mind touch hers, a familiar mind, with a link as strong as a long-lost lover.

_Subaru! _A wave of navy came with the mental greeting, portraying intense deliverance.

"Tsukasa?" she asked of it in disbelief. Her friends looked at her. Mimiru leaned forward to stare at the 'firefly'. "Eh, Subaru-sama, that's a buggy thing, not Tsukasa..." She poked the 'buggy thingy' and received a sharp mental warning in return, along with a painful electric shock from the computer.

_Baka, Mimiru! _A sharp slap of white hit the young fighter's mind Mimiru jumped back with a sound halfway between a gasp and a snicker. "Tsukasa!" An awkward moment, then, "...Tsukasa's turned into a buggy thing!" Mimiru doubled over and crowed with laugher.

The ball of energy pulsated scarlet and all could feel the anger that radiated from it.

_I did not go through what I had to go through to return to stand here and be humiliated by you!_ Tsukasa hissed in passionate wrath. His loathing for people began to return in full. _Need I remind you what I can DO to you, baka?! _A wave of seething black menace washed over Mimiru with this last.

Mimiru remembered that Tsukasa was not like a normal PC and backed away. She had forgotten how cruel he could be in the years that he had been M.I.A.

Bear shook his head and accepted the return of his friend with a nod. "Welcome back, Tsukasa."

Ginkhan did not take the news as well. He glared at the thing that was Tsukasa with undisguised hatred. "Your being alive will throw The World out of whack again!" he growled quietly, not wanting commoners to overhear. "With my authority as a Knight, I command you to leave the servers!"

Subaru looked back at him. "Ginkhan, calm down. I'm sure Tsukasa did not mean to do those things. He is just like us, someone trying to make his way in The World."

Tsukasa's reply was mixed, a feeling of reluctant agreement with Subaru and a faint hint of green to go with it. _But unlike you, I am... this thing. Subaru, I have been looking for you everywhere! With your help, I can recreate my PC skin! _A dim, hopeful yellow flickered across Subaru's mind. _...will you help me?_

Subaru thought about it for a long time, Ginkhan glaring at her the whole time. She knew his opinion on this matter clear enough but....

"...Alright, Tsukasa, I will help you. Tell me what I need to do."


	2. I'm Back!

Chappie 2- I'm Back!

Three days later, a newly-resurrected Tsukasa stood on his own two feet and smiled his thanks to Subaru as the group stood on the outskirts of the city.

"I still don't understand, Tsukasa," she said mildly. "Why couldn't anyone else do it? I mean, if it was just a simple matter of posting a request for a skin on the BBS...?" The others (Bear and Ginkhan) nodded their agreement. Ginkhan began a complaint; "You made us go through all that tr-"

Tsukasa shook his head, raised a hand for silence, and Ginkhan realized that his voice had stopped working without his consent. He gaped like a fish out of water for a moment, then stopped trying.

"Subaru is respected and well-known," Tsukasa explained. "No one would have given her request a second thought. I wouldn't have the Knight do it- I don't trust him."

Ginkhan shrugged. "Fair enough."

"But what about Mimiru? Bear?"

"Mimiru is too..." he paused and groped for a word. "...stupid." Might as well shoot her down sooner then later. "For all I know she would have told everyone why she was requesting my character skin!" snapped Tsukasa. "I'm sure _that_ would have been well received!" Subaru took note of Tsukasa's quick mood swing and a worried frown crossed her brow.

Bear shook his head. "No, Mimiru has matured a bit over the last year," he said defensively.

Tsukasa shrugged and changed the subject. "Now that I have returned, I'm sure I have some time before they figure out how to come after me again."

Ginkhan raised an eyebrow. "Who, bounty hunters?"

"No, the programmers," Subaru answered for Tsukasa, who nodded.

"Those annoying Powers that Be." He smiled, then laughed. "Ah, it's good to be back!" He stretched, then turned to Ginkhan. "Oh, stop glaring at me or I will tear your eyes from your sockets and weld them to the front of your helm," he said, his smile disappearing and his eyes turning cold.

The Knight did not detect any sarcasm in Tsukasa's voice, so he turned away. Subaru and Bear both looked to Tsukasa in surprise.

"Tsu-Tsukasa!" Subaru said in shock. He looked at her. "...you were making a joke, right?"

The young man's face did not change, but his eyes softened as he looked at her. "..." was all he said.


	3. New Power

Chapter Three- New Power

"Subaru! Suba-roomy! Suba-racer!! Suba-"

"Yes, Sora?"

Subaru stared at Sora, who stood yelling in her ear inches away.

"Well, I -was- going to tell you something -important- about someone who was asking about you, but after such rudeness I really don't think I should."

"Good," Ginkhan said, interrupting. "Go away."

"Ah, but he -really- wanted to talk to you," he insisted and ignored the Knight. Subaru did not respond.

Sora fell back a bit, brooding. He had his orders to bring Subaru to the Church of Twilight, to Tsukasa, but she was not cooperating. His employer did not respond well to failure. His mind raced as he tried to think up something to woo her attention.

"...but he is in trouble!" he cried in convincing but fake chagrin. He felt a flash of triumph as Subaru turned on her heel and faced him, while Ginkhan sighed as if to say, 'Here we go again.'

"Tsukasa is in trouble?" she repeated demandingly. She held her arms out to the sides to balance her boat- her sudden movement had sent it rocking from side to side dangerously. "How?"

Sora grinned. "Ah, who said Tsukasa? Not me! You must be psychic!"

The girl scowled. "Get to the point!"

"Na, ma Cherie, not in trouble, but it is a possibility if you do not come to the Church soon to talk him out of it," the assassin stated plainly. He beckoned, holding out a hand to her with a phony smile that was sickening in its fake courteousness.

"Talk him out of what?" Subaru asked as she stared hard at Sora, trying to discern any tricks. She shrugged after a minute and said, "Fine. Let's go, then."

She took Sora's hand and Ginkhan reached for her... but did not get to her in time-Sora and Subaru disappeared, leaving the Knight behind.


	4. Elysium

Chapter Four- Elysium

They were here.

Tsukasa turned around as he sensed the presence of others on the server. He frowned. Subaru was here, her gentle aura washing over his senses like a fresh breeze... Sora too, -his- aura feeling more like static electricity; wild and powerful and barely contained.

But there was another; barely there, just a whisper of a thing, almost too faint for Tsukasa to notice. It was there, all the same, buzzing at the edge of his senses like a mosquito. With a sigh of frustration, he waved a hand and banished that annoying presence with a thought.

The doors to his Church opened and he looked up from his place behind the altar. At the far end of the long hall and walking towards him were his not-so-faithful servant and the girl from his past. His shoulders stiffened and uneasiness crept into him as for the second time strangers entered his most protected of places, their footsteps echoing through the empty halls.

"...hello, Subaru," he said quietly. The girl smiled and replied, "Sora lied. He told me that you were-"

"-About to unveil the greatest undertaking you have ever...um... undertaken!!" The Twin Blade interrupted with a fake smile and a nervous bow. Tsukasa raised an eyebrow. "Go away, Sora."

The assassin vanished without a word. He would not have been able to disobey Tsukasa even if he had wanted to...

Subaru, now feeling more curious than worried, asked Tsukasa, "The 'greatest undertaking'?"

He smiled. "What if I told you that I can take you away?" He asked her, his voice intense. "If I told you that a perfect place existed, just for you?" He paused and looked at the floor shyly. "Would you come?"

Subaru tilted her head to the side. "I don't understand..."

He thought for a long time, trying to think of a way to put what he had done into words. "I..." he began, still struggling. He gave up and turned around, to the stained glass window behind his altar. With a gesture and a mumbled phrase the entire window seemed to warp, to gain depth and reality. The scene changed to an open field of greenest grass under a blue sky.

Without turning back to her he said, "...I wanted to thank you."

Subaru's eyebrows came together and she took a few steps forward, towards the altar and the window. "I'm afraid I still don't know what you mean, but you are welcome."

Tsukasa looked at her over his shoulder and pointed to the window. "A world," he said simply, "...that I made for you as a gift of thanks." His eyes met hers, almost childishly, in a search for approval.

"Its name is Elysium."


	5. New Gods

Chapter Five- New Gods

Mimiru paced back and forth in front of Ginkhan. "I can't believe it!" She ranted. "Four whole weeks! Gone!" She turned and stomped sharply on the Knight's instep. "And YOU! You of all people should have known something was wrong when she resigned from the Ruling Council!" Ginkhan looked away, unable to bear the shame of the truth of the girl's words. "...I am at fault."

Bear shook his head. "Not true. Whatever she is doing, she wishes to do it alone, lest she would have told us where she was going."

"I have stood at the server exit every day, doing nothing but waiting for her to return, all in vain!" Ginkhan lamented. "She has left the World then!" He turned round in circles and then veered away, towards the exit. "Without Lady Subaru to protect, the Knights have no leader! I must find her!!"

Mimiru nodded. "...want me to ask around on the BBS, Bear?"

"No, leave her be."

Mimiru stared at him. "Nani??"

Bear looked up to the sky. "Wherever she is, she can call us if she wants to speak to us. Until then..."

Laughing, Subaru spun slowly in a circle in a patch of flowers, the trees leaves' casting complex mottled patterns of light and dark across her pale skin. Tsukasa, sitting on the ground a few feet away, watched her contently. With a sigh, she sat down on the ground next to him heavily, a cloud of yellow pollen wafting over the two of them, making Tsukasa sneeze. "I still can't believe that you created this -entire world-!" Subaru breathed after he had gotten over his sneezing fit.

_And the Lord saw what He hath made, and it was good, and He was pleased_.

Smiling, he said, "You like it here?"

She nodded and leaned back next to him, her hands absently weaving a crown of flowers for herself. "I wish I could stay here forever," she said wistfully. "It is so... perfect here." "You don't have to leave."

Tsukasa said suddenly, sitting up and looking at her intently as if he had been waiting for this topic to come up.

She shook her head and chuckled. "I'm not like you, Tsukasa," she said, no offense in her voice. "I need to eat and sleep."

Tsukasa looked at the ground. It was still too soon. He looked back to her, forcing a smile that he hoped did not hint at how lonely he really felt. "I suppose you will just be my part-time new goddess then, ne?" They laughed together.


	6. The Dream

Streams of Gold

Sequel to Streams of Silver

**Chapter Six- The Dream**

Tsukasa was having a dream.

_There is nothing. Nothing here. Darkness, absence... I am lost somewhere in the middle. _

_Tsukasa opened his eyes to shadows._

_Am I the cause of the nothingness? Where is this?_

_He looked around, a panic rising to a crescendo within him. He had a feeling if he did not find something real, something corporal in this entire nothing, the emptiness would swallow him up alive. He cast his mind about desperately, searching for something, anything. _

_Then Subaru was there, glowing like a thousand candles at once. He reached for her, his pale hand parting the darkness like water. She smiled at him, her form rippling behind an invisible wall... then a voice, from everywhere and nowhere at once, rung in his head._

_"Stop trying."_

_He looked back to Subaru and cried out in astonishment. She was gone. The darkness shifted, changed, moved within itself to envelop Tsukasa in a sinister embrace._

And then he awoke.

He sat up, panting and sweating, on his familiar altar where he slept. His heavy breathing echoed through the Church.

It was nothing, he told himself. A dream, a nightmare from his subconscious. Tsukasa got to his feet unsteadily and took a moment to reorient himself. He looked to the window to Elysium... and cried out in horror.

The window's scene was changed; it was the darkness, the nothing from his nightmare, with Subaru's glowing form in the middle. Tsukasa put a trembling hand onto the stained glass. With a desperate gesture, he moved to change the image back to normal and breathed a sigh of relief when the glass shifted and warped under his command.

"Tsukasa?"

The young man spun around at his name. Subaru was standing there with a look of confusion on her face. "What happened?" She asked, looking around. "I wasn't here a moment ago..." Subaru looked at him again and her expression changed from confusion to something between surprise and amusement.

"Did you bring me here?"

Tsukasa shook his head. "I-I... I don't know..." he stuttered. His eyes flicked back to the stained glass window. Even though he had changed it back, the surface seemed darker, changed beyond returning.

What was going on?


End file.
